Spotlight PA is an independent, nonpartisan newsroom powered by The Philadelphia Inquirer in partnership with PennLive/The Patriot-News, TribLIVE/Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, and WITF Public Media. Sign up for our free newsletters. HARRISBURG “I feel like I am a sinking ship right now.” “Next month will be a year that they have been putting me through this.” “I just need some help, I am about .
Claims will be put on hold until June 8 as the state makes an ambitious leap to a new, cloud-based benefits system. But experts warn this “all-at-once” approach often fails.
Demonstrators outside Gov. Tom Wolf s regional office in downtown Pittsburgh on April 14, 2021.
A small group of unemployed workers and activists protested downtown Wednesday outside of Gov. Tom Wolf’s regional office, asking the state pay more than 200,000 backlogged unemployment claims. The group was turned away by a building security guard when they attempted to deliver a letter with their demands to Wolf’s office.
“I m a single mother of two children. I have been unemployed now for three months. I have gotten zero benefits or any information about when I will get these benefits,” said Kate Potter, who lives in Brighton Heights, and was among the demonstrators. “I don t know when this money is coming, I don t know how I m going to pay my mortgage. I am terrified. This is unacceptable and I am not the only one, unfortunately.”
90.5 WESA Two people hold signs at a rally in support of unemployed people in downtown Pittsburgh on Wednesday, March 10, 2021.
Long-awaited upgrades to Pennsylvania’s online unemployment benefits system are expected to be ready to launch by early summer.
Earlier this month, the state Department of Labor and Industry
pointed to June 8 as the day it would launch a new-and-improved way to file unemployment claims, get updates, send messages to department employees, and more in real time. It would replace a benefits system that’s been in place since the 1980s.
“We believe that the conditions are right to go live with the new system in June, and we’re very excited for it to do just that because of the efficiencies it will create,” Acting Secretary Jennifer Berrier said during a